Derek parked us in a vacant parking lot, listening to the police radio. He turned it down, looking at me for guidance. I didn't know what he wanted me to do. I wasn't the sacred type, and I also wasn't a God. This is where we ended up, thanks to Derek and Sam's encouragement. It astonished me that Sam involved himself in this. He discouraged these types of things most days.
Derek looked tough in his police uniform but knew he couldn't take on a super like me, so I was sitting there. "If we're going to do this, I don't want you to make a mess; No dents in my hood." Uneven lines pulled my lips apart.
"I got this," I mumbled. Derek nodded, but his expression was doubtful. He cranked up the volume on the radio. We sat and waited. I drew on the frosty window while he collapsed against the side of the automobile. We both sat up straight in our seats as a shadow loomed outside.
"What the hell was that?" Derek wondered aloud. He caught himself gripping the steering wheel and took hold of his walkie.
"10-4, we have a shadow moving outside the vehicle."
Michael Reignson, the chief, acknowledged the call with a deep laugh from the other end of the walkie-talkie. "Are you kidding me, Knight? A shadow? Get back to work." We lost the signal with him. The gloomy silhouette wormed closer to the patrol car.
"Damn it, James. Get out there," Derek yelled. I struggled for the door and slammed it shut, ripping the door handle off.
I shifted my gaze to Derek. He seemed angry and would yell at me about his car later. I was standing in the cold, waiting for something to happen. Why did we believe this was a good idea in the first place?
Derek monitored me while I paced. After that, the shadow seemed to vanish. I returned to the car after catching something out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored it—bad idea.
A hooded figure appeared behind me as I took hold of the door handle. The super grabbed my waist, and I let go of the door. Then the boy flung me across the parking lot. I noticed short curly locks and deep red eyes as I flew back into nearby dumpsters in an alley.
"That hurt—a lot," I mumbled to myself. As the teen approached Derek and the car, I held my breath and rose from the dirt, charging for the shape in the dark, seizing his shoulders. I pulled him backward and slammed him to the ground. The guy didn't flinch, so I knew this wouldn't end well for me. He lifted me from the ground, holding me in the air with powerful telekinesis as I fought.
Derek's patrol car rumbled to life when he reached out to it. Derek looked at me, terrified, as he slammed on the brakes. It was useless against someone far stronger. The automobile sped up and slammed into my side, pinning me against the cold concrete.
"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning over me. I pushed the car off my side and took a deep breath. Derek held out his hand, and I gripped it.
"Yep, a few bruises never stop me."
"Good, " Derek replied, watching the cold air freeze under his breath. "Sam and I are going to kill you. What the hell, James?" He shoved me in brotherly anger, and I fell to the ground, wiping my face with my palm.
"What, Derek?" I grumbled, deflating against the concrete.
"He could have killed you—or me. He could have killed both of us." He screeched. I sat up. Derek hit my chest, and I shot him a dagger look.
"This wasn't my fault," I argued. I pulled myself from the ground, dusting scuffed tire debris from my shirt. But, of course, if dad saw this, he would have a full-blown panic attack. "I recall you and Sam encouraging this an hour ago. I'm not superman, you know," I added that last bit to amuse him.
"Superboy or not," he shot me a grin, "Dad will kill you if Sam or I don't."
"Then give me your undershirt; Dad won't notice."
"Are you kidding me?" He roared. "You have tire tracks all over your pants, too. If dad is home, he will notice you no matter what."
"Derek," I growled. He bit his tongue as I focused on his car. The car rumbled.
"Either take it off or deal with Mark's dad about your car."
"Okay," Derek gave up, gripping his collar. "You win." He slipped off his top layer, then his bottom, and shivered in the cold. Derek was muscular and resembled a slightly older version of me with shaved facial hair, barely visible, and deep blue eyes. He had a detailed six-pack, just like all the men in my family, but nothing compared to me. I was much stronger.
"Thanks, " I smiled.
"I'm doing this for you," he mumbled, tossing his undershirt at me. "You're not as intimidating as those newbie supers."
"Oh, yeah?" I squared him up.
Derek chuckled. "You're outdated, bud."
"Really?"
"Yeah." he licked his teeth. His arm wrapped around my neck, pulling me in, and ruffled my hair.
"Get in the car," he ordered. He threw his shirt over his chest and fastened the buttons. Derek met me on the opposite side of the car and opened the door, hopping into the driver's seat.
"Dad is still going to kill you," he stated.
"The captain always goes down with the ship, " I asserted. Derek rolled his eyes and chuckled. Turning on the ignition, we pulled out of the parking lot.
∆∆∆
"You let him do what?" Sam grumbled, arguing with Derek.
"He knew what he was doing," Derek countered. I buried my face on the couch. Sam and Derek were only trying to keep me safe. My father never addressed my abilities, but I was confident that he would have done the same thing if he had.
Speaking of my dad, he walked into the room from the kitchen, slumping down in his revolving chair by the window with his beer. The room fell silent for a moment.
Hopefully, my father didn't hear us when Derek told Sam about my father's not-so-heroic super teen and sidekick brother. Either that or my dad's high school acting classes paid off. Yep, my dad was going to murder me.
"What did he do? " My dad asked, taking a swig of his drink.
My face flushed red, hoping my father was too drunk to notice the dirt lines down my pants. Instead, Sam, Derek, and I froze.
Derek somehow mustered up the courage to speak. "I took him with me tonight," he said.
"And," my dad urged. He knew us too well and more than we thought.
"A super attacked us, but we're fine, dad. I promise you."
"Damn it, Derek," my dad swore. "How often have I told you not to involve your brother in your police business?"
"It was my fault, " I stepped forward. "I asked to come along. " Sam moaned something.
"James!" my father scolded me. "You know better, too. You're not a superhero." I swallowed hard and cursed in my head.
"Who said anything about being a superhero?" Derek saved my ass. My dad huffed.
"Just go to your rooms," he growled. We didn't argue with him. Derek followed me out of the room, raising his eyebrow at me with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah. Dad knows. " I lowered my voice at Derek. I wasn't stupid. Neither were my Derek, Sam, or my father.
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